A businessman was shot dead by soldiers from the Mozambique Armed Forces and Defense (FADM) on Monday (08), in Vila Sede in the district of Macomia, in Cabo Delgado province.

A statement from the FADM explains that the citizen was stopped while driving at a prohibited time during a night patrol carried out by a joint unit of the FADM and other Defense and Security Forces.

He was then found to be carrying a box of PK-type machine-gun ammunition, which was empty. Even so, given the high level of terrorist threat in the town, "it raised serious suspicions about his real intentions".

The document states that the individual immediately fled when he was questioned about the origin of the box. The patrol members fired warning shots, but to no avail, "and in an attempt to neutralize him, the individual was shot dead".

In the note, the FADM regrets the incident, considering that the security measures put in place, including restrictions on movement at night "are crucial to preventing the terrorist threat in Cabo Delgado".

In addition, the FADM says it is committed to complying with international human rights standards, promising to rigorously investigate the incident in order to ascertain the reasons for the severity of the security measure.